MUSICAL CHAIRS AND EMPTY SENATE SEATS
In March of 2022, our very own Dallas Heard stepped down as the Chairman of the ORP, citing “communist psychological warfare tactics” within his own Party. Apparently, these tactics were effective because…
Recently Mr. Heard announced that he would be stepping down from his Senate seat also, effective January 1, 2023.
In his resignation letter Heard urged “freedom-loving men and women” to run for local elections, saying “we have been losing this state and nation because collectively we are doing almost nothing to fight the good fight”. All we can say is… Dallas, thank-you for fighting the good fight!
Heard’s term was set to end in 2025. Potential replacements to serve out what remains of his term will be nominated and appointed according to a process and a schedule that has been evolving rapidly. On Tuesday, Dec. 27th, Sheri Brady, DC GOP Secretary was given notice by Becky Mitts, the ORP Secretary, that a Nominating Convention for SD1 would be held on January 7th, 2023, at 11.00 am. All of the PCPs that are members of the Central Committees in the three counties that contain SD1 should have received a notice (with details) of this Convention by now (although only those who live in SD1 can vote).
Recently re-elected Representative David Brock Smith (House District 1) expressed a strong desire to vacate his House seat in order to be appointed to the vacated seat left behind by Mr. Heard, who also became a State Senator through an appointment process that replaced Senator Jeff Kruse when he vacated his seat in 2018. We do not know when, and/or to whom Mr. Smith initially expressed his desire to vacate his House seat in order to assume the SD1 Senate seat, because we do not know when, and to whom, Mr. Heard initially expressed his intention to vacate his seat. What we do know is that the GOP Executive Boards, and the County Central Committees that they serve, have not been informed of these very important transitions in an adequate and timely manner. We also know that many of us here in Douglas County are questioning the legitimacy of this process…which seems to be rather “pre-arranged”.
Smith has received Heard’s endorsement, and appears to have the type of support that will most likely make the official nominating process a mere formality. Even so, after discovering that Tim Allen (owner of Roseburg Rentals and South Umpqua Rentals) had thrown his hat into the ring, Representative Smith sent an email to the Douglas County GOP Executive Board informing us that “it would be very unusual for a County Central Committee to publicly support an individual over their sitting and recently re-elected State representative”. We assured the representative that our Central Committee will not take a stance on endorsement without a two-thirds majority vote, and at this point in time, such a vote would be impossible based on a nomination deadline that appears to intentionally limit the ability of the three counties that are in play to effectively engage in this process.
We would like to hear what the PCPs in all three counties have to say about this. Please go to our DC GOP web-site and comment.